

Raising Lifelong Learners
Colleen Kessler
The Raising Lifelong Learners podcast helps homeschooling parents encourage their differently-wired kids to learn, explore passions, cultivate creativity, and become fascinated by the world around them. Join host Colleen Kessler -- educational consultant, gifted specialist, author, and speaker -- for interviews, audioblogs, tips, and encouragement to help your differently-wired kiddos become lifelong learners -- children who know that they can find the answers to anything they want to know if they can just view their world with play, passion, and fascination.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 10, 2023 • 27min
RLL #198 - Finding Homeschool Balance
Whether you're new to this homeschool journey or you're a long-time homeschooling parent, finding balance among all the different and competing responsibilities on your plate is a difficult and often overwhelming challenge. Today, Colleen shares the secret she's learned about what healthy balance actually looks like and how you can tell if you're hitting that mark in your family, life, and homeschool! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

May 3, 2023 • 33min
RLL #197: Igniting Your Kids' Passions
You can tell from the title of Colleen's podcast that she's all about lifelong learning. But today she dive deeper into that topic. How exactly do you develop your kids as lifelong learners? How to you figure out what their unique abilities and true passion are (especially when it seems like it might just be video games!)? And what does it look like to support and even stoke the flames of those interests and pursuits? Colleen shares some of her best tips for doing just that and hopefully helping you to reframe your entire perspective on what a successful homeschool looks like! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Apr 26, 2023 • 26min
RLL #196: Building Self-Esteem in Kids
Why is self-esteem important and how does it impact your child's learning and personal growth? On today's podcast episode Colleen talks about seven important steps you can take to build your kids' self-esteem and what role family members and peer groups can play in this essential area of your child's development and emotional resilience. The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Apr 19, 2023 • 31min
RLL #195 - Test Your Homeschooled Child
Parents often ask whether they should have their child tested for giftedness, learning disabilities, anxiety, or other unique characteristics that seem to impact their child's emotional resilience, learning, and educational achievement. Are tests a good way to understand and meet those needs? Colleen answers that questions specifically with reference to families who are homeschooling as this unique context has an important impact on the answer! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Apr 12, 2023 • 32min
RLL #194 - Motivating Your Struggling Learner
In today's podcast episode, Colleen walks you through several factors that might contribute to your child's lack of motivation (or apparent lack of motivation) what you can do to identify the obstacles, and how you can build a supportive environment that utilizes your student's strengths and interests to build internal motivation! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Apr 5, 2023 • 38min
RLL #193 - Should I Homeschool My Twice-Exceptional Student?
In today's podcast episode, Colleen answers a mom's questions about considering homeschooling as an option for her twice-exceptional student. It can be overwhelming to consider taking this step, wondering where you'll find the resources you'll need and how to help your kids get connected with peers. Colleen shares some of her best advice and the things that have really worked for her family over the years in today's episode! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Mar 29, 2023 • 24min
RLL #192 - Comparison: A Toxic Parenting Trap
It's easy to slip into the temptation to compare our kids to others because it's the easy, even lazy, way to quickly build our kids up and help them to feel better about themselves. What we might not consider are the unintended consequences and the emotional fallout that can result when we compare our kids to each other or other kids and especially when we do that out loud in front of them. In today's episode, Colleen helps you to see the impact of comparison and how you can change course and adopt a healthier way to encourage your kids and build their confidence! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Mar 22, 2023 • 25min
RLL #191 - Celebrating Your Child's Neurodiversity
On last week's podcast, Colleen talked about some of the unique challenges and also unique strengths of homeschooling neurodiverse and twice exceptional kids. This week, Colleen explores specifically why it's so important that we as parents embrace, lean into and celebrate our children's neurodiversity and teach them to view it as a gift and not a defect. Colleen has some specific strategies to share, plus a bunch of encouragement about the positive outcomes you can expect when we truly celebrate who are children were made to be! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Mar 15, 2023 • 33min
RLL #190: Homeschooling Your Neurodiverse Kid
There are many challenges to homeschooling neurodiverse kids. Colleen can tell you you're not alone if you're bumping up against some of those challenges. But, surprisingly, sometimes the things that make homeschooling your gifted and twice-exceptional kids hard work are also the things that make homeschooling such a beautiful fit for them! In this podcast episode, Colleen will equip you with some great ideas to seize the homeschool opportunity and thrive in it with your kiddos! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.

Mar 8, 2023 • 26min
RLL #189: Parenting in the Moment with Your Child
It isn't easy being a mom of differently wired kiddos and being fully present while still juggling all of the other responsibilities of adult life as well as homeschooling! In today's podcast episode Colleen shares some more detailed strategies for how you can carve out that intentional time with your children and give them the best of yourself even when you have a lot of other responsibilities to manage! The Raising Lifelong Learners Podcast is brought to you by CTCMath. Find out more at https://www.ctcmath.com/purchase/homeschool50?tr_id=RLL.